• Sources: Knicks Close To Hiring Kings' Scott Perry As New GM
• Fanatics To Manage Chiefs' E-Commerce In Multiyear Deal
• Lonzo Ball Wears Adidas Sneakers In Latest Summer League Game
• Galaxy Reportedly Near Record-Setting Deal For Ibrahimovic

The Knicks have "reached an agreement in principle on a deal" with Kings Exec VP/Basketball Operations Scott Perry to make him GM, according to sources. Perry would "report to Steve Mills, who will be elevated" to Knicks President. Perry will be the "day-to-day voice running the basketball side" (ESPN.com, 7/13). The Knicks have "courted Perry for more than a week," with Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke "gathering a pool of candidates as head of the search" (N.Y. POST, 7/14). Perry holds an "extensive – and largely promising – resume" as an NBA exec (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/14).

Fanatics today will announce a multiyear deal with the Chiefs to manage the team’s e-commerce platform. The company will launch a new online store for the club at Shop.Chiefs.com. The new online store also will house items for team and community initiatives, such as Red Friday flag sales, which sees a portion of the proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of K.C. There also will be special discounts for season-ticket holders, Chiefs Kingdom Rewards members and Kids Club members.

Fanatics now operates various retail channels for more than half of the NFL’s franchises, as well as the league itself. Sources in May said that the NFL purchased a 3% stake in Fanatics valued at $95M.

Lakers G Lonzo Ball during yesterday's NBA Summer League game against the Cavaliers "kept people guessing" with his footwear choice, as he "jogged onto the court in a pair of James Harden's signature Adidas shoes." This comes a day after Ball donned Nike's in Summer League action, "instead of wearing his own ZO2 shoes" (ESPN.com, 7/13). Ball said of his shoe choice, "Big Baller Brand, you got freedom. Do whatever you want, and I'm showcasing that." ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth: "Does that mean we're going to see Under Armour tomorrow?" Ball: "Stay tuned" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/14).

The Galaxy "may be nearing a deal" with Swedish F Zlatan Ibrahimovic that would make him the "highest paid player in MLS history." While the MLS team "sidestepped questions about possible negotiations," numerous stories out of the U.K. say Ibrahimovic is "close to accepting an offer from the Galaxy that one report said is worth" more than $7.7M. The Galaxy have "held open a designated-play roster spot to fit a lucrative deal under the MLS salary cap" (L.A. TIMES, 7/14).

X Games Minneapolis kicked off yesterday, with "only outdoor events" occurring on Day 1. Motorcycle flat track racing was held at the Mall of America, and "only about 4,000 people" were on hand at the course, "most of them assembled in the one set of bleachers available." The "other two outdoor events," BMX vert and skateboard vert, "took place outside of U.S. Bank Stadium and, with a DJ and vendors, had the feel of a massive tailgate" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/14). 

Verizon IndyCar Series team Schmidt Peterson Motorsports this morning will announce that former JMI President & COO/Americas Jon Flack has been named to the newly created position of President. SPM co-Owner Sam Schmidt said that as the team has grown to more than 50 employees and 12-15 sponsors, he started to see a greater need to hire a top business lieutenant. This will also allow SPM GM Piers Phillips to solely focus on the competition side.

Schmidt: “I’ve known (JMI Founder Zak Brown) for 20 to 25 years and (Brown and Flack) built an incredible organization, effectively doing for corporations what we as a team need to do for corporations. Now that we have a lot of sort of new corporations coming into our team, I felt like we needed to take the next step.” Flack said he also will try to help grow Schmidt’s other businesses.

CBS' Tony Romo's three-day National Fantasy Football Convention kicks off today in Dallas, marking the organization's "third try for its inaugural convention" after the NFL nixed the '15 and '16 events. Cowboys WR Dez Bryant and RB Ezekiel Elliott are "among more than 50 current or former NFL players expected to attend" the convention, where fans can "interact with players and fantasy football experts." Meanwhile, Romo's company is "suing the NFL over both canceled events and is scheduled to go to trial in one case this November" (USATODAY.com, 7/13).

Last night's CONCACAF Gold Cup Mexico-Jamaica match drew 49,121 fans to Sports Authority Field, the "largest crowd to attend a soccer match" at the Denver venue. The match ended in a scoreless draw (AP, 7/14).

The D-backs are "offering free tickets" for children ages 15 and younger for the weekend series beginning next Friday against the Nationals with the "purchase of full-price adult tickets" (AZCENTRAL.com, 7/13).

Several hundred people "gathered at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection" in Leawood, Kan., to remember Sporting KC co-Owner Neal Patterson with a homily by former U.S. Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.). A private burial was to be "held after the public service" (KANSASCITY.com, 7/13).

"TBD, TBD" – Eric Trump, on whether or not his father, President Trump, will be in attendance this weekend at the U.S. Women's Open at Trump National Golf Club (NORTHJERSEY.com, 7/13).

"If we really, felt motivated to take an inferior baseball deal, to not put this organization in the best possible spot to win multiple championships because of emotion, then we would be the wrong people running the club" – White Sox GM Rick Hahn, on the team making a trade with its cross-town rival, the Cubs (USATODAY.com, 7/13).

"My son's 9-year-old baseball team all had suggestions for trades. ... Before, only a couple of friends used to give me recommendations on trades. Now his whole team came over after the game and has a list of suggestions for me" – Cardinals GM Michael Girsch, on how people close to him responded to finding out he was the team's new GM (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/14).

"We made the right hockey decision with [RW Shane Doan]. I'm confident we did. But in retrospect, I should have flown out and met with him myself and told him that. And for that, I'm sorry. I apologize to Shane and the fans. I definitely could have done that better" – Coyotes Owner Andrew Barroway, on how the team handled parting ways with its longtime captain (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/14).

USA TODAY writes while "run-of-the-mill NBA free agents figure out how to spend their new largesse" and the NFL divvies up $7.8B among its teams, it is "nothing but bad news for the TV partners that make those ridiculous numbers possible." The "cord cutting is accelerating," and the "bubble beneath the massive player contracts is bound to pop."

VARIETY goes with the header, "Traditional Media Grabs For The Esports Control." The "explosive rise of esports in the past decade has caught many off-guard, perhaps none more than the traditional – or 'offline' – sports world." But recent events are "leading networks to escalate their involvement in competitive gaming."

Also:

• A look at what is new with FedExField this year.
• New deal with KFNS-AM could change sports radio in St. Louis.
• A profile about the business side of the Gronk Empire.
• Lonzo Ball facing pressure unlike any L.A. rookie ever.
• WR Davante Adams teams with concussion screening app.
• How the Rams' season became compelling TV for Amazon.
• Chuck Blazer's corruption leaves complicated legacy.

After 17 incredible, unpredictable, wholly enriching years at the Mercury News, I am leaving the company for an exciting new venture.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) July 13, 2017

Just finished watching @30for30 #MikeandtheMadDog
I laughed, I cried...Seriously, I did.

— Steve Levy (@espnSteveLevy) July 14, 2017

Once again, @NBCSports is preparing to deal with an #Olympics fraught with off-field concerns. It says it is ready. https://t.co/F12urPtasG

— Neil Best (@sportswatch) July 14, 2017

Even the hint of a Hurricanes sale is better than another day in ownership limbo. https://t.co/9mlHVulHTP

— Luke DeCock (@LukeDeCock) July 14, 2017

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com

400 dollars less than some shoes on the market and 100% more effective.

Available tonight at midnight for $99.https://t.co/sU39iHQfcv pic.twitter.com/tHarE6JIfK

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 13, 2017

A 3-minute hit on the stories you need to know ... Subscribe on iTunes ... Check out our podcast home.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The Academy Awards.”

“He holds the record for time between acting nominations for the same role, 39 years between 1976 and 2015 films.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy” featured the category “We’re Talking Baseball.”

$200: “Even better than a no-hitter, it’s the rare feat of pitching the whole game and not allowing a single baserunner.”
$400: “In September 2014 this Yankee drove in the winning run in his emotional last home game of a 20-year career.”
$600: “The pitcher begins his delivery with one foot touching this part of the mound.”
$800: “In 2015 this Washington Nationals outfielder nicknamed ‘Bam Bam’ hit 42 home runs and was the National League MVP.”
$1000: “Playing for the Dodgers, Chan Ho Park was the first MLB player from this country.”

Rapper 50 Cent appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last night where and talked about boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Host Jimmy Kimmel said, “Are you friends right now, because I know you guys have had kind (of issues)?” 50 Cent: “We argue with each other, but he’s like my little brother.” Kimmel: “He’s like a little brother who could beat the crap out of the whole family.” 50 Cent said Conor McGregor has a “puncher’s chance” in the fight against Mayweather. 50 Cent said he “ran into” UFC President Dana White when they were exploring the possibility of doing the fight, and he “told him, ‘Go after (the fight), because I spoke to Floyd and he feels better about it now.’” Kimmel: “You helped to make this happen. Will you get a cut of any kind?” 50 Cent: “I didn’t get nothing” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 7/13).

Rock climber Alex Honnold appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last night talked about being the first person to free-solo climb El Capitan, describing the “deep satisfaction of taking on a very big challenge and then making it happen." Honnold: "I think of it as the Super Bowl of my climbing." Kimmel asked, “How the hell did you not get the part of Spider-Man?” Nat Geo will air a documentary on the El Capitan climb, with Honnold noting they have been “filming the documentary for the last year.” Honnold: “I haven’t really seen any of the material yet because they’re very strict about the documentary.” Kimmel said jokingly, “You’re an amazing person and you will be missed” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 7/13).

 Actor Rob Corddry appeared on CBS’ “The Late Show” last night and talked about being on HBO’s “Ballers” which is about to begin its third season. Host Stephen Colbert asked, “This season, how hard do you guys ball?” Corddry: “We were balling, as per the title of the show. Season two, for sure like double balling. … Season three, you’d think triple balling? Just exponential growth, exponential balling growth. You can’t even really measure how much we're balling now.” Colbert:  “You're off the ball chart” (“The Late Show,” CBS, 7/13).

“Who is Sylvester Stallone?”

Correct responses to the “We’re Talking Baseball” category:

$200: “What is a perfect game?”
$400: “Who is Derek Jeter?”
$600: “What is the rubber?”
$800: “Who is Bryce Harper?”
$1000: “What is South Korea?”